The acquisition will accelerate UTA’s already substantial data and analytics capabilities and allow it to drive value for the agency’s clients at scale. UTA IQ – the agency’s research, data analytics, and digital strategy division – will utilize MediaHound‘s proprietary technology, which includes The Entertainment Graph, a deep database of film and television content and talent that has been used by leading studios, streamers, and agencies to produce actionable insights and fuel user recommendation engines.
MediaHound and its team of engineers and product developers will become part of UTA IQ.
“Although Talent and creativity remain the coin of the realm, data aligned with strong insights is also a critical tool for our colleagues and clients,” said Jeremy Zimmer, UTA CEO. “Today’s acquisition is a strong addition to the potency of our capabilities in this space.”
“Since the launch of UTA IQ in 2018, our team has been synthesizing information from multiple sources to create unique tools and insights for our clients and agents, and along the way we became aware of the impressive products and services MediaHound offers the industry,” said Joe Kessler, Partner and Global Head of UTA IQ. “Now that we can combine MediaHound’s capabilities with ours, we can exponentially expand and hasten UTA’s ability to navigate multiple layers of data to support critical client transactions and provide insights to inform their strategies.”
“In UTA, we found a partner that shares our vision and ideals about the growing value and impact of data-driven software solutions in entertainment and media,” said Addison McCaleb, CEO and founder of MediaHound. “We could not be happier than to move into the next phase of our evolution as part of such a dynamic, visionary company.”
In addition to its technical expertise and unique IP, MediaHound operates two consumer web sites, “Autum” and “Date Night,” that help streaming consumers select content that will appeal to them based on their preferences and prior viewership.
UTA unites ideas, opportunities and talent. The company represents some of the world’s most iconic, barrier-breaking artists, creators and change makers—from actors, athletes and musicians to writers, gamers and digital influencers. One of the most influential companies in global entertainment, UTA’s business spans talent representation, content production, as well as strategic advisory and marketing work with some of the world’s biggest brands. UTA is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, New York and London. More information can be found at HERE.
Serving as a diverse company, Bugatti Rimac (active from November 21) falls within the clientele of the Rimac Technology business. The Rimac Group is a shareholder in Bugatti Rimac with 55% stake and Porsche with the following 45%. Rimac Group now owns the individual company of Rimac Technology. The fresh company has goals to develop its areas of expertise in the engineering, development, production and supply of differing systems that Rimac is renowned for – such as battery systems, electric drive units, electronic systems and user interface components.
A company with superior electronic expertise, Rimac Technology works closely with automotive manufacturers across Europe. These two realms collaborate in projects like the expansion of the Nevera, taking customers step by step through the process of product creation. Rimac Technology is especially known for their work with international OEMs such as Porsche, Hyundai, Kia, Automobili Pininfarina, Koenigsegg and Aston Martin, with other projects yet to be announced. With the development of Rimac Technology’s manufacturing capacities, the brand has goals to create tens of thousands of advanced systems per year by 2024.
The solely independent company works as an individual manufacturer, including sponsors into the Rimac Group business. Rimac Technology prioritizes clientele confidentiality with all projects, and that each endeavor will be completed to request of necessary cost, performance and within sufficient time.
Mate Rimac, CEO of Rimac Group, now heads both Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Technology. Although both the brands operate separately, they both work under Bugatti Rimac with shared R&B along with other roles. The potential of both Bugatti and Rimac automobiles will be corresponded to Bugatti Rimac, merging ideas and innovation in research and development, production and other areas.
Mate Rimac states, “If we go back to the very beginning of the Rimac Automobili business in 2009, the dream for me was to build my own electric hypercar. With Nevera we believe we’ve achieved that dream, creating a car that is not only the fastest accelerating in the world, but also comfortable, usable and brimming with our advanced technology. But Nevera isn’t just a standalone project, it’s a showcase of what Rimac Technology can do free from the costs or volume restraints of a large-scale manufacturer. We believe once you’ve pushed the technology as far as it can go, it makes it a lot easier to scale up to higher volume and lower cost. The e-Axles, Torque Vectoring, battery systems, connectivity, AI, and countless other electrical systems on Nevera are all our own creations, and each of them can be scaled to suit applications you might find on a range of higher volume performance vehicles.
Separating the technology business into its own entity is a natural step as the focus of the two markets, hypercars and components, are completely different. For example, the products of Rimac Technology, while being on the cutting edge of performance, also need to be extremely cost competitive and producible at huge scales, while those issues are secondary for the hypercar business. This new structure will enable each company of the Rimac Group to flourish to their full potential, while still sharing the synergies between them – for example using our own hypercars as testbeds for new technology before we offer it to other OEMs.”
Eager travelers are increasingly convinced that getting the right help when planning a vacation is priceless in today’s confusing travel atmosphere.
Andra E. of Indiana completed her first Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park getaway in July with Austin Adventures, a Montana-based boutique tour operator. Between the pandemic and a cancer diagnosis, her journey to the perfect vacation wasn’t easy. Austin Adventures sympathetically navigated multiple rebookings for her. The result? Her highly anticipated trip exceeded expectations.
“We were looking forward to not having to make all the decisions and arrangements while exploring a large and beautiful part of the country. What we got was a great trip with guides who were knowledgeable, personable, and thoughtful. They planned out the meals and activities; they truly handled every detail. We were completely spoiled! (The Austin Adventures) team has been nothing but kind, helpful, and accommodating.”
COVID-19 aftereffects rage on in the travel industry in the form of volatile border reopenings, record-setting crowd numbers in National Parks and worldwide iconic destinations, and availability shortages due to the soaring travel comeback.
But planning experts like Active Adventures and Austin Adventures, newly merged brands as of August 2021, are proving their worth by easing the stress of traveling in today’s era.
“Our numbers are definitely showing that travelers are anxious to get back out there,” said Dan Austin, Founder of Austin Adventures. “Between January and September, we’ve seen a 200% increase in travel inquiries compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. Bookings are also breaking records, up 130% over 2019.”
Active Adventures and Austin Adventures have covered all the bases of vacation planning and execution for over 60 collective years. In the last year, their time-tested expertise has proved priceless as more and more travelers turn to professionals for travel planning help.
Professionals and agents find partnering with a reliable tour operator just as valuable. Kristin Cless of Houlahan Travel concurs: “As Travel Professionals, we are extremely concerned about the safety of our clients when they are traveling. Working with Austin Adventures takes all the guesswork out of that process. We know the great lengths they go to ensure the safety and well-being of their clients and it is a huge weight off our shoulders.”
The menu of helpful services offered by tour operators and travel professionals is endless:
They are travelers’ number one fans and advocates. Operators and professionals are there to clean up the pieces when previous vacation plans have been destroyed and they can provide an extra layer of protection when facing confusing rebooking and cancelation conditions. What they always want for travelers is a seamless, stress-free experience from start to finish!
Operators and professionals alike serve as the eyes and ears on the ground at clients’ desired destinations. They are nimble navigators, in tune with the ever-changing environment, and they are vital insiders’ resources into border openings, restrictions, and inventory. When plans seem bleak, operators and professionals have a plan B, C, D, and are more ready to fill in last-minute requests.
Years of operating and finding time-tested good practices result in genuine expertise on how safe travel really works. Whether there is a global pandemic or not, operators and professionals know what it takes to pull off a safe vacation.
All logistics are handled and mapped out for groups of all traveler types: Families, adults, couples, and solo adventurers. Operators and professionals can round up all the details needed to plan high-end requests and distribute the information and paperwork needed for each traveler, making it easy to check those items off the planning list. Travelers who may have relied on their own independence when planning their getaways in the past are also increasingly recognizing the priceless value travel professionals and agents bring to the table. Having professionals and agents on their side amplifies travel planning security and confidence.
360 Magazine is excited to see so many travel options and to enjoy active adventures. The future of travel and all the requirements and planning that come along with it may continue to evolve, but help from travel professionals and tour operators is here to stay.
Oscar Stone LTD is a family-owned jewelry firm based in the Bronx, New York. Oscar Stone sells timeless jewelry, including customizable earrings, watches, bracelets, pendants, chains, and mouth grillz, which are all created from the beginning to the end internally. Oscar’s most popular article, baguette diamond earrings, dazzle his clients with their blinding beauty. Oscar Stone recognizes the value of using durable diamonds and jewelry from the Bronx community.
While lockdown created a lull for other companies, Oscar used the downtime to bolster his burgeoning business. His reach on social media via Instagram featured Oscar to many celebrity customers, including Jojo Simmons, Young Dirty Bastard, and Kid Capri, among others. Oscar Stone‘s jewelry exudes a true dedication to his craft, which is why his extensive list of clients keeps expanding.
The last authentic district of New York, the Bronx, houses the next largest jeweler in New York. Oscar Stone LTD stands apart from other jewelers such as Jacob the Jeweler, Greenwich Street Jewelers, and Martin Busch Jewelers because of its innovative approach to bespoke jewelry and sustainable practices and inspirational dedication to their craft. Oscar’s relentless pursuit of fine diamonds and customer satisfaction during the pandemic has allowed his business to flourish more than ever. Looking to the future, Oscar aims to continue creating custom designs for his customers and grow his business to become a familiar name.
We talked with Oscar about his background in gemology, his favorite custom orders, and his business expansion plans in the Bronx.
How did you get started in making jewelry and performing gemology for Oscar Stone?
I’m a G.I.A. accredited gemologist. Basically, growing up my whole life, [my] family– aunts, uncles, cousins– we all just did jewelry. So getting the jewelry was the easy part. It’s a family trade, really; it’s one of our best-kept secrets.
How did you build your clientele when you began in the jewelry business?
I knew about jewelry; gold wasn’t something crazy new to me. It’s like all your aunts and uncles own auto repair shops–you fix a couple of the tires, do a couple of oil changes, and you just kind of figure it out by yourself. When I had my own spot, building my clientele did really start from scratch. I didn’t have any celebrities or influencers, so I just had to open up shop and see what I could do. Before I did that, I actually did go to GIA (Gemological Institute of America) diamond school. I knew that GIA offered courses for this type of stuff. I spent a couple of months educating myself–[even] just [concerning] diamonds; there’s so many things about diamonds.
Once I finished the education, I decided to really bring in some clients. I was in business for about three years, and then I just started going heavy on social media. Once I started publishing my work on social media, the followers started coming. You know, not[hing] crazy yet, but I started getting a couple thousand [followers]. That’s when the business started taking off. I started hiring friends of mine and a lot of people, [and] my staff grew from four or five people to like twenty-five people. Business exploded when I started getting people who were verified on Instagram and had 300–400,000 followers. Once I started getting those clientele, the ball really started rolling. And that’s where we are now, about a year later.
What celebrities/notable clients have you done jewelry work for?
How do you source the best diamonds/gems for jeweling?
I don’t always get the same diamonds from the same supplier. The reason is, once you start working with somebody for diamonds and you guys get comfortable, then they start sending you lesser quality parcels. A parcel is basically like a bag of diamonds, [which come in] a lot of different sizes. They should all be the same clarity, and you sort through them to see that the quality is consistent.
I can buy 50 carats of diamonds this month [or] this week, and then I’ll run out by making all the jewelry. And so, I need to reorder. If the quality starts to become inconsistent with the price that I’m paying, I’ll switch over to another diamond supplier. Most of my diamond suppliers are in India, so I’ve had to fly out there a few times and look at some parcels, look at some factories, and see how they’re all doing it.
[Or, for example,] if I have to build a watch and do it three weeks, and [clients] don’t give me enough time, I have to get [diamonds] local[ly].
What is your favorite jewelry design you sell?
My favorite designs [are] always the custom pieces I make. I always love doing custom work, I just love like how intricate they are. I just did a piece for a client of mine–it’s this huge custom piece that spins when you spin it. I’ve had the most fun working on it, that’s my favorite piece right now. I’m working on another one that might top it, but we’re gonna keep it under wraps for now.
What is your jewelry specialty?
My signature I would say is the baguette earrings, that’s what most people know me for. Out of all my followers, I would say 20,000 of them might have been from the baguette earrings.
I do really, really good with the baguette diamond earrings that are on my website. I could sell as many as 20 pairs a day. A lot of people [who] are from out of state buy that. A lot of people [come] in store as well. The baguette diamonds are just such a popular thing for me right now. I have to make hundreds and hundreds of pairs just to keep up with demand.
What is the most popular order you receive from clients?
The baguette diamonds are just like something you really don’t see out of New York. And so, people love them. It’s also my bread and butter…It’s gonna go, it’s gonna sell, and sell classic.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to be moving to another location on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx–I’m true to the Bronx, I don’t wanna leave the Bronx. So, I’m moving to a store that is down the block from me. It has three times the retail space, and a basement attached to it. I’ll be able to really put a factory down there. As long as the people keep loving my jewelry and what I do, I’m going to keep delivering the best I can. To do that, and to give the best prices, you need to do things in-house. I’m going to have a 1500 sq ft basement where I’ll be able to put ten diamond setters down there and set diamonds all day. The second floor will be an office to do all the online [work]. On the floor-level will be retail and the showroom, so people who want to see things in-person, I can show them right there. That is my short-term goal in the next one or two years. Long term, I want to be a household name, but one thing at a time.
What Marketers Need to Know About Media’s New Currency
Source Digital, a leader in providing innovative video advertising, is helping marketers to stop wasting money
It’s estimated that digital advertising grew 12% over the last year, as many people were at home more during the pandemic. With billions being spent on trying to reach people as they watch videos, it only makes sense that marketers turn to new technology to advance key messaging to targeted consumers. Source Digital is leading the way in helping them maximize their revenue with media’s new currency: SAMs or Source Activated Moments. The innovative platform is helping companies stop wasting money and get more out of their video advertising efforts.
“Many marketers are frustrated because they are spending more and more on digital advertising but are not seeing the results they want,” explains Hank Frecon, the chief executive officer of Source Digital. “This is where we come in. We have helped many of these companies gain more control of their digital marketing efforts to get a result that justifies their expenditure. We are here to help to grow their business, and at the same time give consumers what they are looking for in a seamless way.”
Many advertising campaigns are being switched to Source Digital’s patented platform. The new platform gives businesses what they have needed all along, which is a way to offer their products or services to customers that have indicated interest, during videos. Here are five things to know about this new way to reach consumers through digital advertising with SAMs:
New media currency (SAMs) focuses on not disrupting the viewer. People love to watch videos, but they have been turned off by the ads that interrupt what they are watching. Having a platform that will seamlessly allow you to watch a video without ad interruption but still allow the marketer to promote something without stopping their video makes a world of difference.
Many businesses turning to the new media currency are able to greatly increase their revenue, because Source Digital is offering them an entirely new inventory to access to help grow their business.
Rather than traditional advertising working with particular networks, the new method of advertising works across platforms. This makes it easier for marketers to reach more people without having to put in more effort.
The more you know about the audience, the more you can tailor ads to them and improve engagement. The new media advertising platform helps advertisers get more insight into the audience, so they can use that to improve user experience and increase engagement.
The new currency is completely changing how online video advertising is done, and it’s doing so for the better. We all learned a lot from the prior ways that video ads were done, and that information has helped to create a better experience for all moving forward.
“We see the way our platform is helping to transform the efforts put forth by marketing teams,” added Frecon. “We look forward to helping many others get on board. It’s a more efficient way of reaching your audience, increasing profits, and in getting the most from your investment.”
Source Digital’s platform quietly works in the background, gathering important data points about the person, so that it can provide a better user experience and increase engagement. Source Digital has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies to help create a more engaging and effective video advertising experience. To learn more, visit Source Digital.
About Source Digital, Inc.
Developed by seasoned technology leaders and inventors, Source Digital delivers a new era of contextual commerce and advertising. Offering the first in-video, contextually driven, frictionless acquisition experience, Source Digital’s technology allows content creators, owners, brands, and retailers to seamlessly engage with viewers across any device or screen in real time. An immersive approach to interactive video, Source Digital’s patented technology inspires brand loyalty organically through continuous, personalized engagement, reducing audience drift while yielding nuanced measurements and substantially increased avenues for monetization.
Digital Transformation: ByondXR Develops virtual commerce platform used by World-leading Retailers
Web-based Virtual eCommerce: Transforming the Future of Retail
The online shopping landscape is continuously changing, with companies finding new solutions to bring unique experiences to their customers. When the coronavirus pandemic shook the world, brands had to adapt to the virtual landscape, as in-store shopping became nearly impossible quickly. With the fear and apprehension that the pandemic created, naturally, people lost the motivation to shop in-person as much as they used to.
Companies that rely on physical shopping lost their customers and floundered, while companies that already had a significant digital presence increased their business. As businesses struggled to stay afloat, ByondXR, a company specializing in building online virtual storefronts and showrooms, was positioned to assist them in building their digital presence and offering new experiences for customers despite the pandemic.
Industry veterans Noam Levavi and Eran Galil founded ByondXR in 2016, intending to help businesses acclimate themselves to the growing virtual commerce market. Having as much familiarity and expertise with online retail merchandising as they did, after COVID-19 quarantining forced people to isolate themselves and remain in their homes, companies like Lancôme, Target, and P&G turned to ByondXR for their technical know-how.
Their innovative technology caters to wholesale and retail businesses who seek to improve their digital marketing presence. With their team of experts, they truly revolutionize the virtual commerce market by creating the most stunning visual web experiences that significantly improve conversion rates, engagement, and reduced return rates.
The virtual showrooms allow customers to browse through a store as if they were moving through a physical space. Customers can pan around, viewing colorful and appealing displays of items. By simply clicking on an item or display, an information box pops up where the customer can view more info about the product, interact with the product in 3D, or place the product in their physical space using ByondXR AR capabilities. To close the loop, users can click to purchase the products directly.
Using the full 3D store simulation that ByondXR creates for top fashion retailers, the Virtual Merchandising teams invite VM, store managers, and customers to take immersive virtual tours of their digital storefront. Visitors can view and interact with new clothing and merchandise hanging on racks and displayed on tables or mannequins by visualizing the store, its fixtures, and garments.
This kind of experiential retail provides customers with a far more interactive and engaging experience than simply scrolling mindlessly through pages and pages of products on Amazon or any other retail website. Customers can view items and read product descriptions on a company website as much as they like, but online shopping can rarely be as effective as shopping in a real, physical store. These virtual storefronts give customers the feeling of in-person shopping without leaving their homes and risk getting sick.
The broad range of clients that ByondXR has worked with have found that customers are looking for new shopping experiences, different from the ones that they are used to, especially when over-use of traditional digital shopping venues has rendered them mundane and unengaging. Virtual storefronts like those they have built for Lancôme and P&G are only the beginning of ByondXR’s technological revolution.
Take, for example, 3D visualizers that they have created for home decor companies like CaesarStone. In these online stores, customers can view a realistic 3D room like a kitchen or a child’s bedroom. With a click of a button, they can place down a crib or a wardrobe in this 360 environment, viewing the item in a digital space as if it were actually in their home and use AR to visualize the product in their own home. They can change the decorations and furniture’s colors and designs and pan around, viewing the items with the depth and authenticity that they would get from a physical store.
One of the most important parts of buying a piece of furniture is visualizing what it might look like in a customer’s own home, and with technology like this, customers won’t be left scratching their heads in the middle of a store. No more wondering what a product might look like when delivered to the customers’ houses with ByondXR storefronts, and they get what they see.
The public interest in digital shopping has only grown since its inception, and the global pandemic has only sped up the growth of virtual commerce. The boom in digital shopping has led to such revolutionary techniques as ByondXR’s virtual stores and showrooms seem to have ushered in the future of shopping, where people can browse items and walk-through stores without ever leaving their homes.
As the pandemic continues, both in the US and abroad, the apprehension that people feel about shopping in person has only increased. People don’t want to risk getting the virus and then spreading it to their friends and family, and so they have turned to online shopping in droves to fill their needs. Although the most important aspect of retail business is to provide customers with quality products, the aesthetics and the art of the way these products are displayed play a large role in what brands customers decide to shop with.
With this kind of technology becoming more and more popular with companies and with the customers that they serve, the question arises: Will shopping ever return to the way it was before?
The pandemic has certainly altered the world forever, but many have wondered if customers will return to physical stores once they can safely and healthily do so. With specialized technical advancements in the virtual commerce market like those that ByondXR provides their clients with, customers may decide that they don’t have to visit stores in person to get what they need.
In fact, home decor technology of the kind they built for Caesar Stone is often found more useful to customers than shopping for furniture, tiles, or decorations in person. Why go to a physical store if customers can get the same experience by shopping online from the comfort of their homes while losing none of the in-person stores’ appeals?
There is also another angle to it: while utilizing VR, retail brands can improve brand messaging, boost online influence, and create unique touching points with customers, something that regular eComment lacks.
No matter what the future holds for the virtual commerce market, ByondXR and their CEO Noam Levavi have positioned themselves at the forefront of digital shopping innovation, and they are ready to meet the next challenge head-on.
Early this week, a tragedy had occurred in Atlanta, Georgia. A total of eight victims were killed at the Georgia spa. Six of the eight victims were Asian, and when the suspect got caught, he claimed that “his actions were not racially motivated.” It was stated that it was too soon in the investigation to claim this shooting as a hate crime; however, the shootings were “aimed at a recent wave of attacks against Asian Americans that coincided with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States.” The suspect claimed that apparently “sex addition” drove him to commit these murders.
There were multiple incidents: the first occurred at Young’s Asian Massage Parlor in a mall off Highway ninety-two, about thirty miles north of Atlanta. When the police got the call, five people were shot, and two were dead while three were rushed to the hospital. An hour later, after this tragedy, two other shootings happened right across the street- one being on Piedmont, the other at the Gold Spa and Aromatherapy.
There were seven women and one man; most of them were Asian. The victims have been identified as Delainia Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng.
Yaun and her husband, Mario Gonalez, were off work getting a couples massage at Young’s Asian Massage when the tragedy started. Her husband safely made it out of the salon, but he and his wife were in separate rooms when the shooting was started. They had a family together; a thirteen-year-old son and an infant daughter. It is sad to say that this woman was a victim in this shooting that not one person deserved -separating families, taking parents, taking siblings. It is a terrible, terrible thing that no one deserved. John Beck, Yaun’s manager, voiced to BuzzFeed News that “her heart was so big.” She would feed homeless people and offer them clothes and a place to shower. Hearing a person who is so kind and so pure as Yaun makes you ask the question, “why do bad things happen to good people.” It doesn’t make sense and is not fair.
Xiaojie Tan was the owner of Young’s Asian Massage as was another victim of the attack. She was known for being an extremely hardworking small-business owner and had such a big heart filled with love and kindness. Her client, Greg Hynson, stated that when he came for an appointment on his birthday a year ago, she had a birthday cake waiting for him. Another victim, Paul Andre Micheals, was a U.S Army infantry veteran married for more than two decades. He was a “dedicated, hardworking, loving man,” his brother stated.
These killings brought a “wave of outrage and attention to violence against Asian-American people.” As soon as social media was notified of the attacks and assumed to be focused on Asian’s, you could see all over the media celebrities, influencers, and people left and right posting regarding standing up for the lost lives and spreading awareness to this hate crime and all hate crimes in general. The media has been outraged and will continue to stand together.
Co-President, Pete Nordstrom, along side of corporate partners hosted a tour for retailer’s newly largest single project investment in their history. On Oct 24th, Nordstrom will launch its first flagship in Manhattan since the 1920s. An exclusive onestop shop adjacent to the Nordstrom Men’s store located on West 57th street & Broadway. The seven-level flagship store, designed in collaboration with James Carpenter Design Associates, forms in the base of the ‘tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.’ With 320,000 square feet, it will embody an experience which is responsive and reflective of its customers. After all, a great design encourages people to stay longer and shop more. And, with 19-foot ceilings, it’s an open canvas for an interchangeable yet flexible floor plan.
The new floor plan allows for discovery, with range to explore and transition through brands freely that they haven’t experienced before. The infrastructure is designed to funnel natural light through transparency with floor to ceiling glass, intertwining the shopping experience to the city’s skyline. The atrium possesses a waveform glass façade which allows for interaction from customers inside and out. Chain-mail veils and lighting installations lend character to the location, reflecting the city’s cultural events as well as major holidays.
“A rapidly growing younger consumer who’s engaged has emerged,” asserts Pete Nordstrom. Instinctively creating a new culture and how we shop that’s relevant to life experiences. Today one-third of sales are e-commerce, which represents 30% of Nordstrom’s business.
For over 100 years, the retailer has stood the test of time. The climate of brick and mortar for many retailers have shrunk and/or has become nonexistent. Nordstrom understands as their customer evolves, their level of service and retail atmosphere should be elevated as well. Using technology and innovation, the new store’s communication system will allow employees to order beverages and/or garments throughout the location.
In addition, customers will have access to 24/7 buy online & pickup, in-store personal stylists and tailoring while you wait. The Vice President of Creative Projects, Olivia Kim, has fabricated initiatives like Pop-In@ Nordstrom – an exclusive space for emerging designers. Merchandising will include a curated depth of products (clothing, accessories, shoes, beauty, children’s, home etc) across price points.
Lastly, there will be 7 food and beverage options with 4 full-service restaurants, 2 bars and an innovative, gluten-free doughnut stand:
¤ Shoe Bar will feature handcrafted cocktails, speciality coffee drinks and a selection of small plates.
¤ 2 restaurants are in collaboration with Chef Tom Douglas.
¤ 1 restaurant is in collaboration with Chef Ethan Stowell.
For a mega metropolis that’s often explored while on foot, this fashion marquee’s newest residence seems to be long overdue.
Pain-Less: Living with Pain, Finding Joy is Anne Welsh’s moving and uplifting memoir about life with sickle cell anaemia. It was published on 19th June 2019, World Sickle Cell day. Within just a few days of the launch, this emotive and inspirational book began to receive some incredible reviews:
“A powerful account of Anne Welsh’s own journey with her ‘invisible illness’ and a valuable resource for sufferers of sickle cell anaemia.” – World Health Organization
“An honest and insightful account in to a world unknown to so many.” – Archbishop of York
“A must read for victims of sickle cell disease, family members of sufferers, handlers and colleagues.” – Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo
“I have the utmost respect for those who suffer from sickle cell disease. The pain I have seen them experience is just awful and the suffering is immense.” – Professor Dame Sally C. Davies
Anne Welsh is an entrepreneur, business mentor, published author, international speaker and trainer in dealing with pain and shows both individuals and businesses around the world how to massively improve their lives to attain a very high quality of life. She helps people whether in business or not, to be the best that they can be.
Anne Welsh is the Founder and President of Arise Consult, a leading global business development firm. Over the last ten years, Ms. Welsh has brought her unique combination of communication and financial skills to clients operating in the private or government sectors. She has been instrumental in identifying and putting in place solutions to a wide range of challenges in many global regions.
She has delivered unique solutions for Middle Eastern clients to capture ground-breaking international events in their countries. Her guidance has helped achieve peace in the most difficult regions of Africa and in the United States she has brought together the leaders of finance and industry to develop solutions that will help many developing countries move forward economically and with a social conscious.
Prior to founding Arise Consult, Ms. Welsh served as Senior Vice-Associate of Corporate Communications at Lehman Brothers and Neuberger Berman where she reported directly to the director of the UK Asset Management Division and was responsible for the fund’s European communications strategy.
Anne is internationally recognised as supporting good works in civil society. As a sickle cell sufferer, she is a champion for the disease around the world. Her book Pain-less, launched in June 2019, was borne of her determination to raise awareness about the impact invisible diseases such as sickle cell can have on individuals and their families.Anne is all too aware of the difficulties faced by sufferers of life-threatening illnesses. By writing this book, she has given a roadmap for others to improve their mental and physical wellbeing that may help in achieving a joyful and fulfilling life
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Finance from Hertfordshire University and graduated from Cass Business School with an MSc in Investment Management.
NOTES
Pain-Less: Living with Pain, Finding Joy, by Anne Welsh, is now available in hardcover via Amazon.
It is also available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo and annewelsh.com.
“Entering ACJ Infinito means exploring a place of wonders, where each element, space, and color are hand-stitched around the needs and requirements of the client, transforming them into emotion and inspiration”.
ACJ319neo Infinito is an ultra-luxurious jet born from the shared passion of Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) and Pagani Automobili, which decided, in 2016, to combine their artisanal skills and pioneering vision in order to create something absolutely unique.
The Infinito cabin represents the quintessence of the Pagani philosophy in a state-of-the-art aircraft: a distinctive style, seamlessly combined with unrivalled material technology. Infinite, just like man’s gaze towards the horizon and beyond.
After tireless work and profound study of the physical and sensorial aspects of air travel, the two companies now present new values and ideas of travel aboard an aircraft, which, from a mere means of transport thus becomes a place of emotion and inspiration, without sacrificing important engineering achievements. ACJ Infinito is, in fact, a made-to-measure work of art entirely designed around the sensations and the emotions of the client.
All Airbus corporate jets come from the most modern family of aircraft on the market and offer the highest world standards of care in corporate aviation. ACJ customers are always part of a dedicated and exclusive community, they are provided with a dedicated service wherever they choose to fly in the world. They purchase much more than a product: they invest in their future, for a unique flying experience.
For the first time, two different worlds, two centres of excellences come together to give birth to a unique project: an aircraft that mirrors Leonardo Da Vinci’s principle of Art and Science: the harmony of beauty and engineering, both in the outcome and in the way of working. Pagani has always been a creator of tailored clothes and high-performance hypercars, whose technical content also exudes passion, technology and research into unique designs. Every object is unique, every creation is an art object that inspires and thrills with its lines and forms. The ideal of beauty is taken to a whole new level with the Infinito cabin, conveying the same emotions as a work of art, nurturing the mind and the senses, as well as relaxing the body during travel.
Detail, spaces, colors. “Each sensation conveyed by Infinito has to be the same as that conveyed by a work of art. These are the emotions we live for and we simply can’t live without,”tells Horacio Pagani, Chief Designer and Founder of Pagani Automobili, about the project, its main inspiration and the collaboration with ACJ.
“We were emotionally involved from the beginning. The project seemed challenging, to say the least.” The Modenese Atelier of hypercars has deployed its extensive experience in composite material and provided Class A tailored carbon fiber components, despite the high investments and production costs. “We have the technology, knowledge and skill for this project,” emphasises Horacio Pagani on the challenges that emerged in the process, “and we do want to invest in this direction.” Pagani’s expertise and advanced composite materials are used in the interiors of an airplane for the very first time, including carbon fiber and carbo-titanium, saving about a tonne compared with other similar projects, thus improving both range and take-off performance.
The interiors are designed around the client’s flight experience, with thorough attention to physical sensations and feelings. “We started with the client, around him we created a relaxing and comfortable environment, not only for the shapes and the design, but also for the visual sensation, for which we followed some chromotherapy principles. Even the smallest detail was given the maximum attention, so as to dynamically assist the client’s sensations across different time zones.” Infinito’s sky ceiling, entirely lined with digital displays, offers a play of light and images, for example, by projecting a sunset or a starry sky, minimising the physical and mental effects of jet lag.
“The feel of the materials, the warmth of the leather or the wood, the intelligence and sinuosity of the spaces, each detail has to convey emotions of peace and safety, like when we’re home or in a familiar and inspiring place.” continues Horacio Pagani on the choice of materials and the habitability of the aircraft. “Our idea is of a single, great space which fosters both movement and sensorial perceptions.” The absence of visual barriers, and the sense of infinite vision that surrounds the client, are the objectives of this tailored creation, simple but essential elements to facilitate a journey of several hours. The compartments inside are, in fact, provided with opacifying glass, when privacy is wished, supported by a carbon fiber framework, hand-made by the Modenese artisans, a homage to the first air inventions of the past centuries, and at the same time a highly robust solution.
ACJ319neo’s interior was entirely designed not only for artistic appeal, but also to be functional: after thorough research on internal spaces and volumes, ACJ Infinito’s compartments provide larger capacity while being less intrusive than other interior designs.
The feeling of hospitality in this ultra-luxurious jet continues with the choice of the single spaces within the aircraft. “At the entrance, a cafe. A genuine and heartfelt way to welcome your client is, of course, by providing refreshment!”. The feeling of familiarity, of home, that you can breathe within Infinito sometimes makes us forget about being on an airplane. This is the uniqueness that ACJ and Pagani Automobili have been striving for in the making of this flying artwork. Home is a safe and peaceful place, as well as a place of inspiration and emotions. Infinito aims to project the client into the same atmosphere of absolute relaxation, to stimulate his imagination and inspiration, reshaping the time of the journey into a time of ideas, visions and answers.
Infinito comes to life for art lovers, for those who love beauty and genius, for those who have an extremely refined idea of air travel, a dream to share with somebody. It’s not just a mere exercise in style, it’s a handmade piece of art, created to trigger sincere and genuine emotions in the client’s heart.
“To us, individual tailoring is what boosts and enriches our imagination – and that of our clients. It is pure passion for our work, and for customer care.”
The new era of corporate jets finds Pagani Automobili and ACJ collaborating side by side to create this new, absolutely made-to-measure masterpiece, bringing their infinite artisanal experience to a fast-growing and extremely fascinating market.
